Abdul Ahad Momand

The first Afghan cosmonaut, who was ‘two seconds’ from disaster in space and returned to a hero’s welcome

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Abdul Ahad Momand’s journey into space was expected to last for only eight days.

Three hours into his return in September 1988, however, the engines on his Soyuz spacecraft failed, preventing re-entry, and he had to spend a further 24 hours in orbit. With limited food, water and oxygen, the man who had dreamed of being Afghanistan's Yuri Gagarin instead faced becoming the Soviet space programme's Major Tom, floating to his death in a tin can.

It was only Momand noticing a warning light that the spacecraft was about to jettison its engines and the snap decision by Vladimir Lyakhov, his commander, to shut down the system that gave them a chance. “What have you done?” mission control asked Lyakhov. “Saved our lives,” he replied. Momand later said they were two seconds from disaster.

During their wait for scientists to reprogram the ship's computer, correcting an error caused by malfunctioning alignment sensors, Momand and Lyakhov kept their spirits up by telling jokes. After a day's orbit, the engines finally fired correctly and when they landed in what is now Kazakhstan the men made light of their troubles. “It happens” Momand told broadcasters with a shrug.